An easy recipe for baby back ribs baked low and slow in the oven on a bed of onions that are so tender the meat falls off the bone.
When I say these ribs are “fall off the bone” good, I mean it. My kitchen looked like a voodoo den today. There were bones everywhere. Without a scrap of meat on them.
It looked like some phantom from Scooby Doo had been through and left nothing in its wake but bones.
These ribs cook low and slow in the oven on a bed of on thick onion slices to keep them out of the pan juices (so they roast instead of boil). Then you finish them off with barbeque sauce and you’re ready to chow down.
A friend of mine popped over when I was making these one day and I was somewhat apologetic about cooking them in the oven instead of on the grill. Because, I mean, we’re in the South so we’re all supposed to be grill masters, right?
[Cut to scene of me standing next to a giant grilling contraption (prolly made out of steel barrels on wheels with a trailer hitch) with a stack of hickory chopped and on the ready behind me with a Bud Light in one hand and a barbeque baster the size of a janitor’s mop in the other]
[Cut to scene of me standing next to a giant grilling contraption (prolly made out of steel barrels on wheels with a trailer hitch) with a stack of hickory chopped and on the ready behind me with a Bud Light in one hand and a barbeque baster the size of a janitor’s mop in the other]
He surprised me by saying he used to work at one of the big rib restaurants in town and the way I was cooking them was almost exactly the way they cooked them at the restaurant. They cooked them low and slow in the oven and only popped them on the grill when it was time to sauce them.
Get. Out.
I love it when I figure this stuff out on my own. And it sure beats standing out in the heat, sweating my gonads off, swatting mosquitoes for hours.
Fall-Off-The-Bone Baby Back Ribs
Yield: 4-6 Servings
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 4 hourtotal time: 4 H & 10 M
An easy recipe for baby back ribs baked low and slow in the oven on a bed of onions that are so tender the meat falls off the bone.
ingredients:
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Barbeque sauce
- 3-4 onions, peeled
- 1/2 cup beer (approximately)
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)
instructions:
How to cook Fall-Off-The-Bone Baby Back Ribs
- Remove the thin skin (or membrane) from the back of the ribs. Simply slip the point of a knife under the skin on one end then lift up to create a gap. Slide your fingers under the skin then pull the skin off. I can usually get a better grip if I use a paper towel to grab the skin.
- Season both sides of ribs liberally with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika; set aside.
- Slice onions into 1/2" rings and place them in the bottom of a large roasting pan (or two smaller ones – use whatever you need so that the ribs can cook in a single layer). This is to create a layer that will keep the ribs elevated so that they’re never sitting in (boiling in) the cooking liquid.
- Pour just enough beer into the pan to cover the bottom. Add liquid smoke to the beer.
- Arrange rib racks in a single layer on top of onion slices. Cover pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil (if your pan has a lid, cover with a layer of aluminum foil and the lid). Bake at 300 degrees for 4 hours. Remove ribs from oven and uncover.
- Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. Drain pan juices from pan (either with a turkey baster or by carefully tipping the pan). Baste ribs with barbeque sauce then return to oven. Continue baking ribs, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until sauce is heated through and slightly sticky. Remove ribs from oven, tent with foil and rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- Discard onions.
NOTES:
Feel free to use apple juice, water, root beer or another cooking liquid if you'd prefer.
You can use carrots, apple rings or celery instead of onions if you prefer. The veg is there as an aromatic and to lift the ribs up out of the cooking liquid so they don't boil.
You can use carrots, apple rings or celery instead of onions if you prefer. The veg is there as an aromatic and to lift the ribs up out of the cooking liquid so they don't boil.
This recipe was shared at the Weekend Potluck!
Keep up with my latest shenanigans by following South Your Mouth!
You are too pretty to have gonads.
ReplyDeleteJust made these and they are fantastic!!! Falling off the bone, tasty and so easy to prepare!
ReplyDeleteIdeas for the left over onions.......
ReplyDeleteI would use a sweet onion like Vidalia and then eat them as a side with mushrooms sauteed in butter added to them. Never throw out a perfectly good onion!
DeleteYou can certainly eat them if you like but I just throw mine out.
ReplyDeleteThough I do follow the same recipe when cooking ribs there is one thing that you did not mention that I do... I remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. It is quite easy...just pull up starting at the corner and pull and the rest of the membrane will come off. This only adds to the tenderness of the completed ribs!
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly what I was thinking about. Thank you for that comment.
Delete���� me too! Ribs have been my nemesis for years until this recipe combined with taking off that membrane. Now ribs are one of my specialties! Fabulous Mandy!!
DeleteWhat can I use instead of onions?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI like to use green pepper rings (sometimes red, yellow or orange as well depending what is on sale/in season) so if you do not like onion, but do like peppers you could try that.
DeleteI've tried sliced apple rounds and also 1 inch sliced sweet potatoes...family liked them both as long as I kept the original fall off the bone rib recipe!
DeleteIf you don't want the flavor of onions, you could put a rack in the pan and if you don't have a rack you could use metal cookie cutters to sit them on or form a stand out of aluminum foil.
DeleteWe use carrots and serve them with the meal
DeleteSounds delicious! I am going to try this recipe this weekend as I have several racks of baby back ribs in the freezer!!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI use potatoes instead of onions - they are delish!
ReplyDeletedo you boil ribs first? then pop in oven?
ReplyDeleteNoooooooooooooo
Deletepork blasphemy
DeleteNEVER! Slow and low in an oven only!!! You DO NOT want to boil out flavor…that is the point of doing them in the oven.
DeleteI just made this using some leftover celery stalks instead of onions, worked great! The idea is to just have something to keep the ribs from touching the pan, plus adding some aromatics, too.
ReplyDeleteJust made these tonight, they are as awesome as they look! Could use any rub that you like. Put plenty of BBQ sauce as it soaks in.
ReplyDeleteI was skeptical about oven-baked ribs, worried the meat would be dry and tough. WOW! This recipe was a pleasant surprise! I never write reviews, but I had to give this a shout out! The meat fell off of the bone and the flavor was amazing! Great recipe!!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS FOR SHARING!
ReplyDeleteWe just made these AGAIN and they were amazing! The meat just melts in your mouth and literally falls off the bones. I LOVE LOVE LOVE all your recipes but I think this one is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteDo you still cook for 4 hours if using a convection oven?
ReplyDeleteWhat about a slow cooker conversion?
ReplyDeleteShould I remove the rack from the roasting pan?
ReplyDeletewe can use water in place of the beer right?
ReplyDeleteNO WATER NEEDED.i just make these with ginger ale.but never ever use water .do recipe as called for . believe me it works
DeleteMaking this as I comment...Pairing with your Flat Broke and Busted Potatoes! Can't wait to eat!
ReplyDeleteI rarely comment on recipes, but this NEEDS to be said! You took a recipe that challenges most people, made it simple, and fail proof! These are AMAZING! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! Amy
ReplyDeleteWOW! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! You just totally made my day!
DeleteThank you so much .mine just came oven .I had to use egg flipper to get them out ,only thing left in pan bones and onions.your amazing thank you
DeleteThese ribs came out perfectly. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteI found your recipe on pinterest a couple years back and this is the only way I'll make them now! A couple variations though: I also remove the membrane prior to cooking. My fave liquid is hard cider, but Apple juice is good, too. And when I baste with bbq sauce, I also mix in some of the pan drippings with the sauce. Game changer!
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is AMAZING, thank you! I've made it once with and once without the liquid smoke and both times the flavor was delicious. Meat falls right off the bone and I'm in love with the recipe!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely delicious......amazing.... :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is the best recipe by far!!!! Thank you Mandy! Adding that canning rims work well too in addition to onions, I ran out of onions so used canning rims. Worked great.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried this in a large electric roaster oven (like a Nesco)? And would using a foil bag liner (for easier cleanup) inside the roaster affect anything?
ReplyDeleteDo you have meat side up or membrane side up?
ReplyDeleteMeat side up
DeleteThis is my go to ribs recipe. They are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for this easy, delicious recipe!
ReplyDeleteOk to finish them on the grill for a few min ?
ReplyDeleteSure!
Delete